***************December 2006 ****************

[lucy5]

I can't access the thread with my rubbish Spanish internet connection. Could someone start a new thread and link it on the old one too. Thankyou. Hope alls well!

Hi All,

Planning to meet up today with my RL ante-natal chums from DD's babydays, but DD came home from pre-school with temperature and was very tearful. Did a two-hourly rotation of calpol and nurofen and then we all had a 2 hour nap

She woke up full of beans, running around, drinking for England and dancing in her princess leotard which is a cheap market knock-off that SIL got her and so my house has looks like Tinkerbell has been doing the shake-and-vac with her pixie dust!

And she is still up now recking her room! But at least she feels beter and no more temperature - even her cough has abated!

DH has a cold and I have a cough, but at least the DC's seem to be on the mend!

I had my first teleconference this morning since I stopped working. It was very weird, speaking in a normal, adult voice about normal, adult things! Thank god it wasn't a video conference - I was sat in my jeans, quietly breastfeeding DD2 whilst tapping away at my laptop one handed with my phone on loudspeaker! Still, think I fooled them

I've still only had 1 smile from DD2, but she beams at DH whenever he holds her. Hard not to feel a little taken for granted

BTW, DD1 thinks that we're bing invaded by aliens in spiky spaceships, thanks to the BBC coverage of the bird flu outbreak in Suffolk. They keep using that graphic of the virus, and it looks like its suspended in the sky over the farm. Bless her - I have tried to explain, but I think she likes the idea of little green men. Either that or she's secretly hoping that they've come back for her

So Ds dropped off to sleep about 6, maybe before. He would normally have fed around 8. I've been attempting to wak him up to feed since just after 8! We've moved room, been tickled and generally annoyed, woken enough to have a nipple shoved in the mouth (but to no avail he went back to sleep)and been stripped to the vest. Still fast asleep. Now if he can replicat this overnight I'll be delighted! Think I'm giving up. An episode of Hustle on DVD and I'll try get a feed down him at 10 and see what that does (11 is the norm with next feed at 2)

More bronchiolitis here too, luckily nowhere near as bad as NM and Eli though - just 24 hours obs in hospital. It's so horrible watching them struggle to breathe, poor liitle mite's chest was sucking in and he was making this awful wheezing noise. He's getting better now but I'm not getting much sleep for checking him!

BF is going a bit better now, had a real stress about in on Fri as ds2 was really unsettled, fed constantly all day but started a thread on here about it, got lots of support and reassurance and it's been so much better since. I saw a bf counsellor on sat and she helped so much too. The only up side to ds2 going into hospital was that they weighed him and he'd put on 4 oz in 4 days, which is more than he'd put on in the previous fortnight. So I'm less stressed about it all now. We'll see how heavy he is on Weds then I think I'll completely relax!

Spotty face and scaly eyebrows here too - he's not athis most attractive, bless him

NM and Olihan, Sorry to hear your lo's have been poorly
Ben has been the same although we have so far avoided hospital but if his breathing gets worse I fear we will end up there

The gp prescribed a decongestant nasal drop as the saline isn't working but no chemist in my area does it So have to chase around tomorrow trying to get it

He is doing lots of smiling now but is pretty much a miserable baby most of the time, I know boys are different and I think I have been spoilt by such well behaved girls and its a shock to the system having a boy who at 9 weeks is still like a newborn when feeding/sleeping ect...

I really don't want the newborn bit to go but I want a happy bouncy baby! Where is he lol

omg, all that bronchiolitis - I'm so sorry! Oli, Magnolia, and especially NM....so glad all your LOs are ok (and Magnolia, really hope you get to avoid hospital). NM, dd gave me her first smile the day she was discharged, just after they removed the ng tube....she was five weeks, it was a teeny lopsided one but very real, in her eyes as well as her mouth. Its so scary, when they get suddenly so very sick, is'nt it? Hugs to you...

Would not like to place bets on getting through February without another admission, here - but fingers crossed, both dds quite well at the moment. Only very slightly snotty. And dd2 has slept from 8.30pm till about 3am for the last two nights - if I could only dredge myself up from bed at 11pm I'd do a dream feed

The little piggy weights nearly 12lbs now - HV came today. And I suddenly realized why her reflux meds aren't working so well these past couple of days - the dose is now wrong for her weight! Off to gp in morning to demand (oh yes, had enough of asking ) the ok on upping it. She's on the minimum anyway, and it makes such a difference when the Ranitidine is working.

Wishing you all peaceful nights, and especially, healthy ones for your LOs..

Forgot to add - dd2 also had cradle cap between eyebrows a couple of weeks ago (she's 10.5 weeks now) and sweet almond oil cleared it up in a couple of days. Same effect as olive oil (and probably Kamillosan etc) but smells nicer IMO!

Forgot to add, ds2 has started smiling too. Funnily enough he also gave the paed a huge grin when he was being examined. I've had a couple of beautiful ones in the middle of the night too, makes being up then a bit more bearable.

Magnolia, glad ben's managing to stay out of hospital so far. Paed said yesterday that they get worse for 3 days, stay bad for 3 days then get better over 3 days, althugh the cough and wheeziness can linger for a few weeks.

Eli, very glad you have 2 well girls at the mo, you need a break from all the worry and stress over the last couple of months. Good news about her weight too, she's obviously doing well.

I'm sorry to hear that you have all had poorly dcs

kepping this short and sweet tonight - dd2 cannot be calmed

Morning All,

Oh roll on spring, both DC's have colds - but I am hoping DS is sounding worse due to floopy larynx.

Poor DD is bunged up and coughing , and I am being a meany to her by keeping on at her to cover her mouth when she coughs and sneezes because she will make her brother poorly and he'll have to go to hospital - which makes her cry.

Praying everynight we dont end up having to take DS to hospital but I know with our luck it is probably inevitable - although currently he remains a guzzler - which the GP said is a good thing, but the minute his appetite drops off then we have to re-evaluate.

So far keeping him going with saline drops, olbas oil, lots of water to drink and a wet teatowle over the radiator!

My chest felt very tight in the night and I had that wheezy feeling. And I know DH was'nt on form yesterday. We said we should just shut ourselves in side for 4 weeks to rid ourselves of colds etc, just take deliveries at the door.

Magnolia - totally with you on the difference between boys and girls. Although DS is much better since a 4 hourly feeding pattern has been in place, and he is smiling in response to a smile now, whereas before it was a tickle or a high-pitched "cheeky boy"!

Oh and this morning he has actually fallen asleep on his own without being swaddled, although is wrapped up in a nice handmade cardi and blanket.

We are in a similar state, Baileys. Now I just look at ds1 and say Cover! He is finally getting it though.

Ds2 has been waking at least every 2 hours due to the congestion

I want my well baby back!!!

woohoo!DD2 slept from 10.20 until 4.10 this morning And she didnt have a 5 hour marathon last night to prepare for a long sleep!

I'm praying that i dont pay for it tonight

milkshake - my DD1 has learnt to cover her mouth when coughing. No you arent being mean. It is good manners anyway, besides te health issue.

Thanks Satin, Milkshake and Indith

Bought Tescos own and yes, they're much better - no soiled clothes

Swaddling tip - dd2 is as snug as a bug in a rug!

Well, we had more thyroid tests done today. I was hoping that the levels would have dropped by now, but they're a little higher than last time. We have to go back again in 2 weeks to the SCBU for more tests. The SHO was muttering things about antibodies, diseased thyroids and possible treatments when he phoned us with the results this evening, which threw me into a tailspin. I tried to ring him back when I got my head together, but he was gone. Instead, I spoke to a fantastic charge nurse who went off and spoke to a senior doctor. According to her, it's most likely related to the prolonged jaundice, and should be nothing to worry about. Am feeling and wishing all of this was over.

babypowder - hope it's just prolonged jaundice

Arghhh, DS has been awake all day, with the exception of two 15 minute catnaps!! Is it because we had no fresh air today - I can't help but wonder!

He is curently swaddled with a cherry dummy (that stays put for a while) cooing and grinning and looking ready to play!

Yet all afternoon when I would have loved such a contented little bundle he was grumpy and fretful . I wonder if his siter winds him up - already!

Fingers crossed for you BP!

Found out why DS laughing so much - little Houdini has escaped my swaddle - it was such a good swaddle too - any matron would have been proud

Going to try again and if it fails I am off to find some large elastic bands, duck tape and stapler

That;s it.....toolbox here I come!

Poor you Babypowder, I hope it is the prolonged jaundice and you get to find out soon.

Where is everyone? Thought it would take me ages to read the posts and it's very quiet. Hope everyone & your LOs are ok. Has everyone gone on holiday? Is there something I should know ?

In spite of all the illnesses in this house, DD2 is behaving like a little star. Long may it last!

Soooo happy - I'm ecstatic and just wanted to share...baby Felix slept from 12.00 until 7.00am this morning!! And just when I thought things couldn't get any better he went straight back to sleep after his bf and is still in the land of nod now!
Not sure how long this will last.... (am a born pessimist) but will keep my fingers crossed that this is a sign of things to come [hmmm]
On a less positive note those of you bfing have your boobs suddenly become very sore? After 6 weeks mine have started to ache and are sore to the touch, all over that is...just wondered....

I would have posted more often but it's taken me AGES to read and keep up with the parking in M&T spaces and having your MIL to stay when you've just had baby.

dd2 seems to be a serious little girl and you have to work her really hard to make her smile. Shame. Maybe she doesn't like my jokes.

She had her BCG this week as she had a cough last week. she is already getting a little bump

margo, I canx DS jabs yesterdy as we all have coughs and colds, gonna get a new apt for next wek and hopefuly we'll be over the worst.

Poor little mite is on cold no. 3!

Have just been to Boots and stocked up on infant vapur rub, it says from 3 months but GP said it was okay to use decongestant on him sparingly so if needs be I have it.

Also glad to see Tixylix do a cough syrup for 3mnth+ Bought a bottle to keep my shelf prepared, just in case.

I am now looking for the cough pastels for children whicha re advertised on TV but cant see them anywhere.

While in town I treated myself to a cream apple turnover (well it's got fruit in it) , and got DD some pick and mix.

Is anyone else finding it hard to justify buying stuff for the baby, yet still spoiling the older children??

Bebespain, was just wondering the same thing re sore boobs! My DS is 6 weeks on Friday and suddenly i have aches. Mainly on left, nothing to see, but quite painful! (Guess due to frantic feeding from DS and/or expressing with new electric pump??)

BP, here's hoping it's just the juandice. I'll bet that it is. I try to remind myself in deaing with patients that the diagnosis is almost always the simplest ansewr.

bebe, I think 6 weeks was about the time I went about the house with little ice packs stuffed in my bra. It looked funny but really helped.

Baileys, here's my chest rub recipe:
add a few drops of lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus oil to some olive oil. It's a staple in our house now.

Ds2 finally had a decent sleep of about 4 hours last night. Stuffy nose still disruptive for him (and me!) at night tho.